KAYSVILLE — Preliminary work is underway to develop a new Kaysville Branch Library.

A five-member committee, made up of three Kaysville residents, Mayor Steve Hiatt and Councilman Gil Miller, has also been formed to make recommendations, the mayor told the Clipper Tuesday.

The new library is due to be built on the south side of Heritage Park, 200 N. 100 East.

It would include about 15,000 square feet sompared to 6,400 feet now in the city-owned building adjacent to Kaysville City Hall.

“We are in the preliminary stages. There is discussion ongoing about the preparation of a lease (with Kaysville City) for that (park) property,” said Library Director Chris Sanford.

“We’re hoping to move that (discussion) forward during the summer months,” she said.

Tuesday morning, the Davis County Commission opened requests for proposal from contractors interested in performing a soil survey of the site.

“That’s just to make sure there is no underground river” or some other physical element that might pose a challenge to construction, the mayor said.

Hiatt said he understands the county is hoping to start construction next year and complete the building in 2015.

“We think it’s a great location,” he said, adding that he hopes the building design can reflect the character and history of Kaysville Р something that Heritage Park is intended to do.

“I have great confidence it will be a wonderful library and that the city will be very pleased,” said County Commissioner Louenda Downs. She sits on the county library board.

Kaysville and county officials are working closely on the planning, a process Hiatt praised.

“They’ve been great in being pro-active,” Hiatt said.

A library has been on the county library’s project list for several years. However, it had to wait in line behind the new headquarters/Farmington Branch library, which opened last October.

Kaysville joined the county system about seven years ago, following a failed attempt to obtain bond funding approval for a new library of its own. The city had operated the library since 1920, long before the county system was started in 1946.